TYRONE LADIES FOOTBALL

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The opening fixtures of the Patrick Fahy and Co Solicitors Tyrone ladies football championship went ahead at the weekend with junior and intermediate preliminary round games producing plenty of excitement and plenty of quality scores.

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Edendork produced the biggest scoreline in the preliminary round of the junior football championship as they eased to a 6-16 to 3-9 win over Fintona in what turned out to be a more one-sided affair than expected. Loughmacrory powered on to the quarter finals as they beat Beragh while Galballys miserable run continued as Moy turned in a fine display to progress with a 1-13 to 1-5 win.

Coalisland with a great mix of youth and experience are brimming with confidence now and a 4-8 to 2-10 win over Rock was another boost to that at the weekend. Rock were hard to turn over but in the latter stages the Fianna came good.

Drumragh Advance

In what was expected to be one of the games of the weekend meanwhile Drumragh proved too strong for Badoney.  It finished 1-19 to 1-8 with the Sarsfield's very impressive in attack as a handful of different players got on the scoresheet.

Drumragh led by nine points at the break with McDonald and McCrory on target with 0-2 for Badoney, Eva McCaul was in good form at the other end hitting 0-6 of the eleven points scored. Neamh Woods powered through the middle in the opening seconds of the second half and found the net to open the gap to twelve but to their credit Badoney battled on and Shaunna Kane found the net to keep the Gortin girls on their coat tails. Kerry McCarvey and Dearbla McDonald also added points as the game opened up.

The class of Drumragh though came to the fore in the fourth quarter as they pulled clear with Amy Cox, back after a long lay-off among the points as the Drumragh side eased home with plenty to spare. Woods a class apart once again although she had a fine supporting cast with youngster McCaul , Joanne Barrett, Brogan Chesters, Edel Taggart and Cox turning in good performances.

INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP

O'NEILL ON TARGET

Niamh O'Neill hit 3-6 as Sperrin Og eventually pulled clear of Donaghmore at Drumragh on Sunday evening. The Greencastle side certainly didn't have it all their own way in what turned out to be an entertaining tie in near perfect conditions. 1-7 to 0-3 up at the break Sperrin Og looked in control with Claire Touhey pulling the strings and O'Neill in fine scoring form. Donaghmore had a late chance to get right back into the game just before the whistle though as Emma Hegarty's great run saw her hauled down, the resultant penalty though went wide from the boot of Rebecca McCrory.

McCrory though was instrumental in making a game of it for Donaghmore when she found the net ten minutes into the second half, Lauren Hollywood hit a fine Sperrin Og goal moments later before McCrory hit another 1-1 to keep the St Patricks in the tie.

By 22 minutes there was just a point between them , what a spirited performance by Donaghmore with Emma Rice's goal proving crucial, they were really playing well at this stage and should have pushed on, yet with O' Neill on the prowl again  there was only going to be one outcome, in a five minute spell the bustling full forward hit 2-2, one of those goals from the penalty spot to see off the Donaghmore challenge.

In the weekends other intermediate tie Aghyaran perhaps caused a bit of a surprise as they beat Fr Rocks by two points, veteran Lucy McMenamin scoring a late late goal to seal the win. The Cookstown side were forced to play an injured Laura McGillion at full forward and her loss from the defence was a big set back for them but credit to the West Tyrone side, they produced a good solid display and deserved the win 3-7 to 1-11.

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